Headlines of Major Natural Events in the Americas this Week, Trends and Scientific Findings, Policy and more …

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Updated every Friday.

Friday, August 4, 2017

August 4

*** ANNOUNCEMENT ***

Disaster Risk Reduction Across the Americas
Discussion Sessions

Dates:Wednesday, August 16, 2017 to Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Times: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)

In preparation for the Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction Across the Americas Summit, ARSET will be offering recorded webinars and live question and answer sessions for attendees and others interested in disaster response across the Americas. We have listed a number of recorded webinars that we recommend as prerequisites for the discussion. Some materials are available in Spanish and the question and answer sessions will have both Spanish and English language support ... Read more

What happened this week?

Historic Drought Hammers Dakotas, Montana. Crops in the Dakotas and Montana are baking on an anvil of severe drought and extreme heat, as bone-dry conditions force growers and ranchers to make difficult decisions regarding cattle, corn and wheat...Read more

Drought Spreads and Intensifies Across U.S. Northern Plains. The drought plaguing eastern Montana and much of North and South Dakota came on quickly and is intensifying, leading ranchers to sell their cattle and farmers to harvest early whatever crops that have grown so far this summer...Read more

US President declares federal disaster after Michigan flooding. President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared that a major disaster exists in mid-Michigan following severe flash flooding and storm damage in late June, clearing the way for federal emergency aid to supplement ongoing recovery efforts...Read moreNebraskan congressional delegation requests disaster declaration after six tornadoes. "The strong winds, including six tornadoes and golf-ball-to-baseball-sized hail, produced extensive damage across the state. Public power districts are reporting damages in excess of $13,780,024," the letter states...Read more

Interesting Facts

Severe Thunderstorms Top the List of Climate Disasters So Far This Year.During the first half of 2017, a series of extremely powerful thunderstorm outbreaks with damaging hail and tornadoes caused $41 billion of damage in the U.S., according to a new report from Munich Re, a German reinsurance company that tracks and analyzes natural disasters. So far this year there have been six severe, large-scale thunderstorm outbreaks, each causing billions of dollars in losses ...Read more

What's new in Disaster Risk Reduction?

Drought-warning tool to help Central American farmers: U.N.BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new weather monitoring system to better forecast drought in Central America could help the region's governments and farmers avoid major crop losses and boost resilience to recurring water shortages, the United Nations says ... Read moreWorld Bank issues $360 million Mexico catastrophe bonds. NEW YORK, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The World Bank will issue $360 million in three-year catastrophe bonds on behalf of Mexico, the organization said on Friday, to be paid out in the event of hurricanes or earthquakes that devastate the country ... Read moreOttawa County Senior Companions get tornado disaster training. MIAMI - Senior Companion Program volunteers are trained and ready to help their clients with many needs. The focus of the training is preparing for severe storms and tornadoes. Insulated ... Read more

Technology would change Edmonton's tornado response today. Thirty years ago, Edmonton Coun. Ed Gibbons was pacing up and down his Clareview driveway, waiting and hoping his children would arrive home safely ... Read more

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On behalf of the Section for Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change, RISK-MACC, Department of Sustainable Development, Executive Secretariat for Integral Development, General Secretariat of the Organization of American States. Visit our website

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this bulletin are exclusively those of its authors and sources, and do not represent the opinions or the official position of the Organization of American States, its General Secretariat, or its member States.